Sunday, December 17, 2006

State College's metaphorical groundbreaking, in Hench's view, actually occurred in Harrisburg in January 1853, when the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society "highly approved" Gov. William Bigler's recommendation "that an institution to impart instruction in the science of agriculture should be established."

Two influential members of that society were William G. Waring who, as Hench wrote, organized one of the pioneer teachers' institutes in Centre County in 1851, and James Irvin, a member of Congress and part owner of the Centre Furnace property.

Don't see the disaster you've been researching? Try out the search engine - or browse through the hundreds of other train wrecks, tornadoes, drownings, mine explosions, fires, etc. catalogued on the site.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Eldora Park was big part of the Pittsburgh - Monongahela Valley area history

Leonard Marraccini is a man on a mission. And he's leaving few of those proverbial stones unturned in his quest for information about Eldora Park, a popular recreation and amusement site for many years in Carroll Township.

Marraccini's pursuit of the history of Eldora Park extends far beyond the realm of its reputation as a gathering place for family reunions, dances, picnics and myriad other events. In reality, it's an expansion of his natural interest in the mining industry

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Historic railroad station built in 1858 and used by Abraham Lincoln gets a new look.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- The railroad station used by President Lincoln when he came to this small borough in 1863 to dedicate the Soldiers' National Cemetery and deliver the Gettysburg Address has been completely and beautifully restored.

Christ Episcopal Church in Oil City holds special service Sunday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the dedication and first use of its parish hall.

The parish hall's cornerstone was set in place Sept. 24, 1905, during a special service. The rector prayed: "Almighty and everlasting God, be mercifully pleased to bless this stone which we are about to place in the name and strength of Him who is the tried and precious cornerstone."

He struck the stone three times at the name of the Blessed Trinity. The congregation sang "The Church's One Foundation," and following further prayers, the ceremony ended with the hymn "Work for the Night is Coming."

A handmade copper box was inserted into a void in the cornerstone and cemented in place with asphalt. The box was then covered with a metal plate and several inches of Portland cement, sealing it for the next century and completing parish hall construction.

At one time Franklin County hosted approximately 200 buildings operated under the one teacher system for the elementary grades. By 1952, that total was reduced to 25. The first county school superintendent was James McDowell of Greencastle. S.H. Eby Sr. of Greencastle, also served in that post for a number of years.

The first school building on record in Antrim was the Guitner one-room schoolhouse of the ill-fated Enoch Brown tragedy. July 26, 1764 an Indian massacre took the life of Schoolmaster Enoch Brown and 10 of his pupils. The raid was conducted by a group of renegades who were part of the Pontiac Rebellion during the French & Indian War. Archie McCullough was the 11th pupil, he survived but did not truly recover the ordeal or the wounds received. Following the massacre teaching returned, for a time, to the former system of teachers visiting the homes of children as a "circuit" education was offered.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Thursday is the start of a four-day celebration to mark Freemansburg's 150th anniversary, when many of the newcomers will get their first glimpse of old-time borough traditions such as the cakewalk, a cross between a raffle and musical chairs with baked goods as prizes. Event organizer Judy Lasso said ''the walk'' used to be popular, but couldn't recall any held after 1991.

Another major part of the celebration will be historical photographs that show how the borough has changed.

From 700 original inhabitants, Freemansburg grew to around 1,200 by World War I. The canal, then later the railroads and an electric trolley fed local commerce. One hundred homes were built around 1918 to house wartime employees of Bethlehem Steel, and the massive steel plants became as important to Freemansburg's economy as they were to Bethlehem's.

Friday, August 04, 2006

LIGONIER, Pa.— A doorway beckons visitors to pass through a book made of concrete that stands some 28 feet high. The simple verse on its open pages reads in part, “Here dreams are real ... and so are your story book friends.”

There are no massive roller coasters, bumper cars or swings that spin visitors high in the air at this 17-acre attraction, tucked into the rolling mountains of western Pennsylvania.

But for the little ones in the family — or anyone who is simply young at heart — you will find Mother Goose, Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood waiting to play at Story Book Forest. Part of the larger Idlewild amusement park, Story Book Forest this year is celebrating 50 years of making the characters and scenes in children’s stories and nursery rhymes from “Alice in Wonderland” to “Snow White” come alive.

Story Book Forest was built in 1956, an era when many children’s parks based on storybooks were sprouting up around the country. The Pennsylvania attraction was created by Idlewild’s then-owner C.C. Macdonald and Arthur Jennings, who was a performance clown at the park. Jennings had always said he wanted to create a theme park “based on emotion rather than motion.”

In 1983 Story Book Forest became a part of Idlewild. Read about history of Idlewild from the idlewild.com website.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

The Dutch Barn Preservation Society is going to count, inventory and create an accurate study.

The Dutch Farmstead survey -- which will look in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont -- will take three years. It began last year with a basic, quick survey to identify properties for more intensive study. The second phase will add a brief history, written description and sketches of each property. Then, surveyors will compile in-depth examinations, including comprehensive history, site plan, measured drawings and detailed photos.

Members of the preservation society and Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture will lead the survey. Vernacular architecture refers to ordinary buildings representative of a given period. The two groups will work with the Stichting Historisch Boerderi-Onderzoek (Institute for Historic Farm Research) in the Netherlands. All are nonprofit organizations.

The Dutch barn is one of the last physical reminders of the pre-industrial agricultural heritage in the eastern United States, said Schenectady county and city historian Don Rittner. The efficient, heavy timber structure was adapted from the European style and reflects the skills of the predominantly Dutch immigrants who settled the area and their descendants, he said.

Dutch barns differ from other historic farm buildings because of their distinctive boxlike shape, low side walls and broad, pitched gabled roofs. Beams are joined on the interior in an H-shaped frame, providing a rigid core that supports the external roofing and walls. Columned aisles are positioned alongside a central space, which was once used for threshing grain. The ends of crossbeams projecting through the columns are often rounded to form tongues, a distinctive feature found only in the Dutch barn.

Lucinda, Sunville, and Plumer are featured in Venango County village series from thederrick.com

James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States, used to own the land around Lucinda, known at the time as "Vogelbacher's Settlement" after the Black Forest immigrant who tamed the territory in 1820.

Sunville ...holds a unique spot in history for its decision to incorporate as a borough - and then to unincorporate 24 years later. The town maintained a steady population of about 100 during its brief stint of self-government, and the move to rejoin Plum Township in 1903 came with little fanfare or explanation. Borough council folded, and life went on.

Plumer'schief characteristic today, however, is the extent to which it has remained intact. While the population now stands around 200 (down from an 1860s high of 8,000), the village boasts churches and a general store as most similar-sizedcommunities lack both.

Locally, many villages are one-time oil boomtowns that were named, settled and depopulated in a decade or less. Petroleum Center claimed 15,000 residents at its peak in 1870 and saw no need for governance beyond the dictates of Cornplanter Township, according to an 1890 history of Venango County.

"(Village names) were just a way to find your way around and have somebody know what you're talking about," said Sylvia Coast, a researcher at the Venango County Historical Society and Franklin Public Library. "The villages just fade away over time."

Before 1902, rural residents had to collect their mail from a local post office - often no more than a desk inside a general store or home. That meant every crossroads or hitching post with mail facilities needed a name; letters would arrive with simple addresses like "John Smith, Fern City, Pa."

With the advent of rural free delivery - that is, a postman dropping letters in curbside mailboxes - the urge to christen towns abated. Nearly every village with a PennDOT marker today can trace its appellation to the 19th century.

Despite changes to the postal code, village arrangements remained a mainstay of the Pennsylvania social fabric for another half-century, with small-scale stores, churches and clubs forming the nucleus of farm communities and other secluded settlements.

Friday, June 23, 2006

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced that the Narberth Premium Collection Wine & Spirits Store in Narberth, Montgomery County has completed a remodelling project.

The renovated interior pays homage to the history of Narberth with 23 historic photographs, reproduced from those in the Lower Merion Historical Society archives, including the city's 1930s semi-pro baseball team, "The Rocket" steam engine from the Philadelphia & Columbia Rail Road (c. 1940), the Narberth Fire Station (1895-1896), the old Narberth Rail Station (c. 1950) and the World War I parade (1917).

Thursday, June 22, 2006

No roster or student listing was given with the photo, but these students listed below were listed in the York High School 1901 Vidette as being seniors in 1901, so probably they are in the photo, as well as other unnamed students.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

The dozen or so bridges that cross the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, joining downtown and its southern and northern neighborhoods, represent only a small fraction of the spans that crisscross this city.

Just how many are there? Depending on who has been doing the counting, that number has varied over the years.

Now, a local author who is a visiting professor at the University of Pittsburgh believes he has come up with a definitive number: 446.

Friday, June 16, 2006

At a time when the downtown areas in many small communities resemble a ghost town, one borough has created a bustling business district.

At first glance, the main street area of Brookville may appear as it did more than 100 years ago when lumber was king and prospects for industrial and commercial development were abundant.

"We have a lot of historic buildings. We have a Historic Brookville Inc. board that tries to get people to have their building historically correct. We don't have a Wal-Mart or a Kmart, but I think we are better for it," Bullers said.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

SUNBURY — Northumberland County Historical Society will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Fort Augusta during 2006 with a variety of special programs including a three-day celebration beginning July 13.Among the commemorative activities planned is the grounbreaking for a new model of Fort Augusta to replicate the large model of the fort which once sat on the lawn in front of the Hunter House, the historical society announced.

By the mid-1960s, small towns like Oil City and Franklin were feeling the effects of a shrinking local economy and a declining population.As the two cities began to contract, so did many of the businesses that had thrived in small neighborhood settings. Hit the hardest were two of the more visible enterprises - neighborhood grocery stores and small gasoline stations.From 1955 to 1965, Oil City lost about 10 of its filling stations, leaving the number at 21 in the city limits. Franklin, too, had fewer stations, dropping to 24 from 30 just a decade earlier.

The Redfield family has been in the gasoline filling station business for more than 50 years and shows no signs of easing back."My dad, Ansel, but everybody called him 'Red', started in the business in 1952 at Hank Malene's Quaker State station on Main Street in Oil City. And our family still owns and operates gas stations here," said his daughter, Rita Rodgers.Redfield ran the Main Street station until a major city redevelopment effort resulted in razing most of the neighborhood in 1964.Eyeing an up-and-coming part of the county, he moved to Cranberry Township and bought a gas station at the intersection of routes 257 and 322, site of the Kwik Fill station now. At the same time, he opened a filling station at the top of Seneca Hill, now quarters for McMahon's Insurance.

From Penn State: Inventory of the Pennsylvania Bridges Collection, 1884-1915

The collection contains photographs of railroad bridges in Pennsylvania, mostly in the Pittsburgh area, 1891-1915; photographs of technical drawings produced by the Pennsylvania State College, Civil Engineering Dept. depicting structural details and complete designs of modern railroad bridges, 1903-1904; and lantern slides of railroad bridges, 1884-ca. 1904.

The railroad bridges, built in the 19th century, were photographed between 1891-1915, and depict different types of bridges, structural details, transmission towers, and bridge construction. The bridges were used by at least seventeen different railroads including the Pennsylvania Railroad, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, Susquehanna and Buffalo Railroad, West Penn Railway, and the West Virginia and Ohio Railroad.

In the first decade of 1900, the very few automobile owners in Oil City and Franklin went to a general or hardware store - maybe Seep Brothers at 35 Seneca St. or Chambers Hardware on the South Side - for gasoline. Lugging a container, usually a bucket, the driver would stop and buy a few gallons from the shop owner who kept a small tank under a lean-to in the back. While there, the purchase of a Saltzmann brew or a confectionery or perhaps a cigar might also be made. Read full article

Oil City had 20 new car and truck dealerships in 1927 in the city limits, including Chrysler at M&C Motors, Dodge at McMahon & McLane, Chevrolet at Oil City Motor, Hupmobile at Boyle Motor Co., Olds and Stutz at F.D. Walters, Studebaker at Warren Motor, Buick at Weaver's, Pontiac at Moore Motor, Willys-Knight Overland at Penn Overland, Chandler at G.L. Pressley, Hudson and Essex at Liberty Sales, Nash at Oil City Nash, Ford trucks at W.W. Jeffrey. Read full article

The Armstrong History Alliance went on-line about a year ago and local historians are hoping the endeavor will help advertise the diverse offerings of small historical societies scattered throughout the county.

The alliance was formed by the county’s seven historical societies: Apollo Area, the Kittanning-based Armstrong County Historical Museum and Genealogical Society, Brady’s Bend, Dayton Area, Freeport Area, Leechburg Area and Lower Crooked Creek.

Connie Mateer, the Kittanning society’s genealogy librarian, said the alliance offered a central gateway to the events, programs and information each historical society oversees.

“It’s sort of a huge events calendar,” Mateer said. In addition to listing events, the Web site details the different historical buildings each society operates and provides contact information for each, including independent Web sites for those that have them.

Mateer said the Armstrong County society also has a database that lists details of most of the tombstones in the county’s 300-plus cemeteries. Those details also could be made available on the Web for people searching their genealogy.

Monday, June 05, 2006

A new exhibit at the Chadds Ford Historical Society caters to those who want to know what the village area of Chadds Ford was like almost 100 years ago. Conceived and designed by CFHS volunteer Sallie Corbishley, the exhibit is an enlarged village map of Chadds Ford with old photographs strategically placed to show where in the village certain buildings used to be.

Drawn on the wall of the large exhibit room at the Barn Visitors’ Center, it is based on a 1913 road map of the village showing the area around Station Way Road, the Brandywine Creek, Route 1 and Creek Road.

It’s also a good way for the society to show off some of its archived photographs. Most of the society’s historical collections are on display at the John Chad House and at the Barns-Brinton House, Westerman said, but there is also a large collection of archived material and a reference library. Without the photos on display, visitors don’t know they exist.